Test hopeful Christian banned for tantrums

Steve Larkin

Test hopeful Dan Christian has been assured his suspension for repeatedly damaging dressing rooms when dismissed won't harm his Australian ambitions.

The national limited-overs allrounder has been offered anger management counselling and been suspended by South Australia for destroying property and damaging changerooms three times this season.

SA have banned him for their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria starting on Friday.

Christian, who was Test 12th man last summer, had hoped to replace injured allrounder Shane Watson in Australia's current Test team but since being overlooked has struggled for runs.

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SA Cricket Association director of cricket Jamie Cox has spoken to Australian selectors, who said Christian's suspension won't count against his national claims.

"They have said this won't leave a scar on that prospect," Cox said on Tuesday.

"We absolutely support and would want Daniel to be up there (in the Australian team) hopefully in the one-dayers later in the year."

Christian was Australia's Test 12th man in the home series against New Zealand last summer and has played 17 one-day internationals and 11 Twenty20 internationals without cementing his spot in the short-form teams.

"He has sat on that (Australian) fringe virtually all of last summer so I can only assume that does lead to frustration," Cox said.

Christian was given a verbal warning for damaging Adelaide Oval changerooms when dismissed in a Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania last month.

In a return game against the Tigers in Hobart, Christian damaged the changeroom when dismissed and was fined his entire match fee and given a written warning.

Yet in last week's match against Western Australia in Perth, Christian again damaged a dressing room once dismissed.

"Cricket is ... really emotional and when blokes get out, it really is tough but it doesn't give anybody the right to actually smash up equipment and smash up dressing rooms," Cox said.

"It doesn't give anyone permission to destroy property, no matter how bad a day you have had.

"He is an emotional guy and that emotion works really well for him on the field at times, but that is no excuse for damaging property.

"We all have bad days but you can't go ... belting holes in walls and start upsetting the people around you."

Instead of pressing his national claims as the Test team plays South Africa in his home city of Adelaide this weekend, Christian will be training with SA's youth squad and playing grade cricket.